Important changes to Free School Meals eligibilty.

The Department for Education (DfE) have inrtroduced significant changes to the eligibility criteria for Free School Meals and the application process effective from the 2026/27 academic year.

The government has updated its guidance to ensure that funding is directed accurately to families that need it the most. From September 2026, the transitional protections will be discontinued meaning that schools will now be required to verify annually which students meet the eligibility criteria for FSM. Previously students were 'protected' and kept their meal allowance even if their household circumstances had changed. Under new rules, eligibility must be checked every year ahead of the Autumn term.

Boswells will continue to use the London Grid for Learning (LGFL) eligibility checker https://fsm.lgfl.net/. We are advising all parents/carers to check their eligibility as soon as possible to ensure everything is in place for when students return in September.

From September 2026, eligibility has been extended to include all households in receipt of Universal Credit. Other qualifying benefits include:

• Income Support
• Income-based Jobseeker's Allowance
• Income-related Employment and Support Allowance
• Support under Part VI of the Immigration and Asylum Act 1999
• The guarantee element of Pension Credit
• Child Tax Credit (provding you are not also entitled to Working Tax Credit)

Please ensure your registration is completed no later than Monday 31st August 2026 however, to ensure allowances are in place for the next academic year and to allow us to support where requested, we strongly recommend that you complete the registration by Tuesday 30th June 2026.

Please note that if your child is curently entitled to FSM, you will still need to re-apply.